Students had to develop an apparatus in order to establish a relationship of enhancement and/or restriction of taste, smell, and auditory systems. An initial plaster cast was constructed of a specific classmate’s entire head. The cast was made using surgical grade plaster strips. The final cast was then used to provide detailed measurements and a template on which the apparatus could be constructed.

Sensory Wall

Layers create the illusion for the wall. An exploration of one, two, three, and four layered walls determined how many are needed to create the illusion. This exploration revealed the need for further development of the wall with four layers. The wall allows the occupant(s) to perceive the space around them in an illusory way. It creates an illusion for the occupant(s), because it shifts their reference points. A challenging boundary condition and movement allow an interactive relationship between the two rooms. While viewing the sensory wall, one can slightly see into the other room. When a person in the neighboring room moves, it creates an ambiguous illusory moving image in the first room.

Sensory Confinement

Freedom Through Isolation is a philosophy that was developed in the beginning of the design process. Here the word freedom refers to safety. By creating the gap between each individual cell, the inmates cannot make contact among each other. Thus increasing the privacy for them to move inside the cell. The prison acts as a landmark or edge of an island, where at night, its string of towers light the waterways and urban surroundings. The tallest building has 10 floors. Those charged with less serious crimes are housed closest to the ground and those charged with crimes that are more serious are housed further away from the ground. The higher living units are more enclosed while rooms in lower levels are more open. A louver system directs the inmates to see only selected parts of the environment. Each individual cell is a 10′ x 10′ cube arranged in a grid.

An apparatus was developed in order to establish a relationship of enhancement and/or restriction of taste, smell, and auditory systems. An initial plaster cast was constructed of a specific classmate’s entire head. The cast was made using surgical grade plaster strips. The final cast was then used to provide detailed measurements and a template on which the apparatus could be constructed.

Sensory Wall :

The wall designed conforms to the pressure of the body by using wooden slats that act as flat panels for the body to rest against. The slats are connected using an elastic cord that makes them change position based on pressure. People can use both sides of the wall, while still having some visual privacy.

Sensory Confinement :

The design acts as both a prison and a park allowing prison to impact a community positively without negative consequences on the occupants. The prisoner is given a voice and allowed means of expression through moveable display boards where the prisoner can connect with the others. The display walls help serve many purposes within the prison and contribute to its flexibility. They rotate to form partitions in the prison’s public space and can be raised to create display areas in the park walkways. Those viewing the boards gain a better understanding of prison and the prisoner and perhaps gain a sense of emphaty.